Wednesday has been one of our favourite days of the week for a long time now here at HairBru. Because wigs bring joy and confidence to us. Yes we get to experience it everyday but Wednesday still feels like a holiday to us. Wig Wednesday is great because of the variety of people that love wigs. Wether they be a lifestyle or a fun addition to your style. We have met tons of amazing humans that are apart of our community. Thats why we decided to do Wig Features. To help showcase the people breaking the stigma of wigs being “foreign,” when really they are a common way to bring happiness.
Stephanie has been wearing wigs for many years but it took a long time to get confident wearing them. When Stephanie noticed her hair thinning out due to medical reasons she knew it was time to start wearing wigs. Over the years wigs became the “thing” she needed to get used and overcome because they were now a part of her. Once she made that decision she got more confidence!
Doing this interview is a big step in the right direction for Stephanie because even just a year ago she never would have considered being a feature for us. However she will share her story as to what led her to wig wearing to anyone who asks and is willing to know more about her life. Over time, she learnt all things wigs and educated herself about something that is very personal to her. Furthermore she now understands that everyones hair journey is different. “We need to allow people to be comfortable in their own skin."
Stephanies has been wearing wigs for 6 years and spent well over $10,000 in trying to find the right kind for herself. Yes it can be a daunting experience and expensive lifestyle. At first she used topper wig. Toppers are designed to conceal hair loss at various stages and different areas of the scalp. They are also ideal for adding volume to thin or fine hair. However as her hair grew these toppers would damage the little growth she had worked so hard on. In the end they ruined what she was trying to fix. Next she found a stylist through facebook that sold wigs to cancer patients. The wigs she purchased through this stylist were a blend made of synthetic/human blends and were extremely expensive. Although Stephanie did not know much about wigs when she was starting out but through her experiences she was able to gain tons of knowledge through trial and error.
Currently she has a nice collection of wigs that she has invested over the years. She also has 4 wigs from HairBru that she keeps in rotation depending on style, activity, or even mood. If you are an avid wig wearer, rotating your wigs out will keep them better for longer because over time wigs do wear out. Just like hair, it will shed. Therefore it is important to wash your wigs regularly to keep them fresh. After a wash she keeps her wigs on mannequins because it's great for keeping them in its natural form, styling, and upkeep.
The wigs she gets from HairBru now are a lot more natural looking with the lace fronts, she states. Since they are human hair you don't notice the obvious shine that synthetic wigs give off. When she met Nadia, she was able to figure out exactly what she wanted in a wig. Having someone that truly cares about you and not just business is refreshing. Now her wigs feel a lot more secure, she wears them with or without wig caps. And now she knows how to make her own minor alterations like clips, and bands to make them more comfortable to suite her.
Her past wigs were ones that had a rubber mechanism that was an easy throw on throw off. With those, if she hugged someone she felt it shift which she did not like. Her application process now has broadened. Her process for installing wigs includes: showering and drying her natural hair. She then decides if she will have her natural hair down or if she does a bun with bobby pins, or a cap. Then proceeds to lay her wig on her head, then styles her baby hairs. Using freezing spray, she lays the frontal and lets it air dry for a half an hour. If she’s in a rush she will use a blow dryer on the cold setting to make the process faster. Once she removes the head band she uses the clips in the wig for extra security. Usually taking 45 minutes total making it a high maintenance job everyday. What she loves the most about wigs is that once its on she’s ready to go and good for the day. Even when the weather is not the greatest, she still has nice hair!
It's not always easy for Stephanie, she admits. Activities such as outdoor trips with friends or going to the lake, makes it harder to manage a wig life. If she is rushed she says “It probably won’t be a good day.” She does need to re-install daily. She has homemade hair treatments that she likes to do a few times a week. Noting that stimulation is very important. She recommends getting scalp massagers that are for the shower are a great investment. Using Rosemary or Peppermint oil mixed with Coconut Oil hair treatments is a process that she started by massaging into her scalp and leaves on for a couple of hours (sometimes overnight), repeating this process a few times a week for natural hair growth.
Her advice for people that want to wear wigs is to really educate yourself and look around. It took her a while to find us and she likes that HairBru isn’t just a shop but a safe place where she can trust we have her best interest. She states that wigs are such a big investment and that it's important to purchase a wig in person by a local shop, that way you can do alterations and feel the wig in person before buying it. You would never purchase a vehicle before test driving it right?
Thank you so much Stephanie for blessing us with your experience with wigs and teaching us all you know. We are so thankful to have met you. And we are happy that you found what you are looking for in a wig with us. You are a great example for many people. And we hope for only amazing things and wigs for you in the future!
Thank you for reading.
JJ Wells.
